Part 1, Chapter 6 (5)

10:00 PM. New Seoul, Yuseong Family Residence.

Eun Yuha took off her headgear. After controlling the other seven Machine Dolls and putting them into a dormant state, Eun Yuha officially began her work. Gwanggeom closed the lid of his baijiu bottle and worried.

“Aren’t you working too hard? They’re all political and business figures.”

“I can’t help it. I’m putting them in debt to the client.”

“Debt?”

Eun Yuha brought up a screen.

“The client wishes for the Azure Syndicate’s existence to slowly be revealed. Here, would you like to see?”

Heo Yun-hwan checked the screen Eun Yuha showed him. On it was a video, filmed from a distance, of his daughter Seok Harang fighting the monstrous human Phoenix in Gwanak.

“There are still people uploading things like this. What I’m doing right now is….”

The playing video paused. And then, the video was soon blocked.

“Like this, I’m hiding the client’s existence. And the Azure Syndicate’s existence too. Even if I can’t erase 100% of it.”

“Indeed. So it’s moving at the Yuseong level. That’s why people aren’t reacting much.”

“President Seonui Cheol wouldn’t want the Villains’ presence to grow either. It’s a win-win. Recently, Hwawon Lee Seunghyung has been appearing on broadcast a lot, right? That’s all to divert attention.”

“I see.”

Heo Yun-hwan gulped down his drink. Surprisingly, he had no interest in politics whatsoever. Eun Yuha, with a surprised expression, picked up her coffee cup.

“Father-nim, are you not interested in that kind of thing?”

“What business does a Hero have caring about politics? I have to protect people. …Though I’m a monstrous human now, my foundation hasn’t changed. Isn’t our contract also like that? A private armed organization that can be deployed whenever people are in danger.”

“That’s right. …Well, there’s no such crisis right now, though.”

For me, it would be good if there was a crisis, though. Eun Yuha swallowed the rest of her words along with her coffee.

While they enjoyed their tea-or rather, Heo Yun-hwan’s alcohol-time, Eun Yuha’s smartwatch rang.

[Young miss. It’s Baek Sang-woo.]

“Oh, what is it?”

[We’ve secured the entire quantity of the relief supplies you mentioned. But….]

“Don’t beat around the bush, get to the point.”

Baek Sang-woo sighed.

[They say all the strawberries are gone. For now, we’ve loaded them as cargo onto a passenger ship coming from Osaka as an urgent measure.]

“To get strawberries from Japan…? Is that really necessary? Is that even possible?”

Heo Yun-hwan tilted his head. Eun Yuha drank her coffee and smiled slyly.

“Because it’s business. We plan to compare various varieties, select the most suitable one, and put it on the menu. …We slipped some money to customs.”

[The passenger ship is expected to arrive in Busan around 9 AM.]

“Busan?”

Heo Yun-hwan’s face brightened. Eun Yuha sipped her coffee and checked her schedule. Fortunately, she had free time.

“Baek Sang-woo. I’ll go down myself. The cafe franchise is under my jurisdiction, so they won’t suspect anything.”

[Won’t it be dangerous?]

Eun Yuha snorted.

“Have you forgotten who’s next to me? Tomorrow morning… No, let’s go now. Contact Busan. I’ll sleep at a hotel.”

[Understood.]

The call ended. Eun Yuha put down her cup and stood up. Heo Yun-hwan roused his mana and completely blew away the effects of the alcohol.

“…My apologies. I still find it hard to see Harang-“

“That’s why I prepared it. Father-nim’s exclusive suit.”

“That’s already been made?”

Heo Yun-hwan’s face brightened like a child’s. Eun Yuha smiled and made a circle with her thumb and forefinger.

“I bought time with money. Shall we go?”

A moment later, a vehicle departed from New Seoul for Busan.

* * *

He had a dream.

That day, the day the dimensional gate opened in Seoul.

Lee Seung-hyung abandoned the Hero’s code and fled with Cheon Gaeul.

Monsters popping up like mushrooms after rain, Villains who caused a commotion in surprise at the dimensional gate, and refugees who constantly sought opportunities for plunder from underground.

Lee Seung-hyung evacuated Cheon Gaeul, avoiding all those demonic hands.

Guro. In the old digital complex where he had coughed up blood and collapsed during the Seoul Reclamation Operation, Lee Seung-hyung met the Beacon, the king of that area.

The Beacon welcomed them, and Lee Seung-hyung felt relieved by their kindness, which was unlike that of the Villains or refugees.

Though it was a dream, Lee Seung-hyung shouldn’t have let his guard down.

When he returned after briefly driving away the monsters, Cheon Gaeul, with whom he had confirmed their love, was being gang-raped by the Beacon and his subordinates. Lee Seung-hyung, seething with rage, charged in, but was killed by a Villain who had escaped from Gwanak and joined the Beacon.

Watching Cheon Gaeul cry tears and scream, Lee Seung-hyung’s consciousness faded to black.

* * *

“…It’s a nightmare.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

Lee Seung-hyung startled awake. In an unfamiliar ceiling, an unfamiliar sofa, an unfamiliar room, a familiar and longed-for voice echoed in his ears.

“Is it a hallucination…?”

“Snap out of it, Lee Seung-hyung-ssi.”

Cheon Gaeul’s voice was heard. Lee Seung-hyung quickly came to his senses and turned his head. On the steel chair opposite him sat a grayish-white Cheon Gaeul.

“It’s already 11 o’clock. Do Heroes not have a curfew? Can you just wander around alone like this?”

“……Is it really Gaeul-ssi?”

Lee Seung-hyung asked in a choked voice. Tears welled up in his eyes. Cheon Gaeul nodded indifferently.

“Yes. I’m Cheon Gaeul. Though there’s no way to prove it.”

“No. You are Gaeul-ssi. Seeing you like this, I know. Haha, hahaha….”

The Cheon Gaeul in Lee Seung-hyung’s memory was not an ability user. She was an ordinary actress, and Lee Seung-hyung fell for her diligent efforts despite being an ordinary actress. Gaeul took off the mask on her head and fiddled with it.

“Seriously. You’re the one who won, so why are you fainting and making a fuss? Why did you take off your smartwatch?”

“…The association people don’t like me coming up to Seoul. They’re afraid I’ll cough up blood again.”

Lee Seung-hyung, in particular, would experience mana backflow whenever he came to Seoul. People assumed it might be a curse left by the Fire Dragon on Lee Seung-hyung, and eventually, Lee Seung-hyung became the pillar of New Seoul, filling Gwanggeom’s empty spot.

“Hmph. You’ve become quite the important person.”

“Gaeul-ssi, you’ve changed a lot. Your personality and your appearance too….”

“Changed? Of course. ….”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that not only her personality and appearance but also her species had changed. Instead, she cleared her throat and spoke her true feelings.

“Ahem. I stayed specifically to thank you.”

Cheon Gaeul stood from the chair and bowed.

Cheon Gaeul’s reason for not abandoning or killing the unconscious Lee Seung-hyung, and her reason for specifically bringing him to this lounge to face him, was for that thank you.

“Thank you for being the chief mourner at my funeral. Thank you so much for helping my parents.”

“…Gaeul-ssi, are you going to live as a dead person?”

“Of course. There’s no place for me in New Seoul anymore. My place is here now.”

Cheon Gaeul pointed to the floor with her finger. Lee Seung-hyung clenched his fist.

“…Do you really have no intention of returning to New Seoul?”

“Yes. I was originally a Seoul person anyway. Don’t keep clinging.”

“…….”

A crack appeared in Lee Seung-hyung’s smiling face. He was startled, thinking his true feelings had been exposed. Cheon Gaeul propped her chin with both hands and smiled bitterly.

“As I experienced unrequited love myself, I realized. What kind of feelings Lee Seung-hyung-ssi had for me. I was really dense, wasn’t I? A man was openly hitting on me right next to me, and I didn’t even notice.”

“…Cheon Gaeul-ssi, you were focused on acting, weren’t you? It’s alright. I fell for you because of that side of you.”

“Still?”

“Yes. …Though it seems there’s no possibility.”

A shadow of gloom crossed Lee Seung-hyung’s face. Perhaps because Cheon Gaeul had also become an ability user, he too vaguely felt the emotions emanating from the other person’s mana.

Cheon Gaeul had no intention of hiding her feelings.

“Yes. I don’t like Lee Seung-hyung-ssi. Find someone else. The bus has left.”

“If I had turned back then and gone to save Gaeul-ssi….”

“Hey, why are you being so pathetic? Haven’t you seen the script for the final episode? When does first love ever last until the end?”

“Huh. Gaeul-ssi isn’t my first love.”

“Really?”

“…….”

Lee Seung-hyung pouted his lips. Against Cheon Gaeul’s incredibly harsh wall, Lee Seung-hyung naturally felt a surge of ill will. He also felt a bit hurt, wondering if there was any need to put up such a strong barrier.

However, Lee Seung-hyung decided to reluctantly give up. Cheon Gaeul’s love was moving on a different axis than his own.

“……And the script changed, you know? In the end, the male lead and female lead got married.”

After Cheon Gaeul’s death, the production team cast an idol-turned-actress and revised the script to match her, but they completely messed it up. Gaeul was startled.

“They changed the script there? Did the writer-nim allow it? That unnie is a person of strong principles.”

“The writer-nim quit too. The director urgently scouted a writer. The writer of Gaeul-ssi’s debut work.”

“Wow. I can tell without even seeing it. That story was a mess. The viewership ratings must have been cut in half, right?”

“The viewership ratings dropped to single digits. …Gaeul-ssi, that’s too much. You didn’t even look it up? It would come up if you searched.”

“Why would I watch a drama that replaced me as the lead? It just makes me angry.”

Cheon Gaeul snorted.

“If I died, they should’ve just ended it there. An unfinished masterpiece that lost its lead actress! And then, after some time passes, they could do a remake. Nostalgia correction is good, isn’t it? With Lee Seung-hyung-ssi as the protagonist again! Anyway, would people watching the drama watch it to see me, or to see your face?”

“Gaeul-ssi, you suddenly got excited, didn’t you?”

“…Ahem!”

Gaeul calmed her excitement at having discussed her acting days. Just then, a message arrived on Gaeul’s smartwatch, and Cheon Gaeul checked it, her face brightening as she stood up.

“It seems you’re fine now, so I’m leaving.”

“Th-there….”

“I’m not giving you my contact info.”

Lee Seung-hyung stood up and reached out, but Cheon Gaeul ignored him and turned her back. Nine tentacles pierced the lounge floor, creating holes.

“Well then, goodbye. We won’t see each other again. Ever. So….”

Cheon Gaeul put on her mask.

“Find someone new. A woman who will like you. Don’t go liking someone who doesn’t even give you their heart… Ah, damn it. I can’t bring myself to say that. Hey! Lee Seung-hyung!”

Phantom pointed a finger and shouted.

“Find another woman besides me! Got it?! Don’t even think about climbing a tree whose top you can’t see, like me!!”

He was openly rejected. Lee Seung-hyung quietly closed and opened his eyes at Phantom’s bold ambition.

“……Understood. But I don’t think there’ll be one in Korea.”

“Then just get an international marriage or something. Hmph.”

The ground beneath Phantom’s feet suddenly gave way. Phantom, who had solidified the ground and entered the tunnel, left Gwanak after leaving one last word.

“Be happy with a good person, Hero. …Thank you for everything.”

Phantom disappeared into the ground, and Lee Seung-hyung stood blankly for several minutes.

“Haha, ha…. In dramas, first loves lead to marriage, though.”

Lee Seung-hyung wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

Soon, Heroes rushed in from outside.

“Are you alright?!”

Unsa shouted in surprise, and the Praetor’s scolding rang out from Unsa’s smartwatch.

[Hey, you son of a bitch! Do you want to see me lose my mind?]

“…I’m sorry.”

Hero Hwawon Lee Seunghyung was apprehended in Seoul approximately 2 hours after his unauthorized departure.

* * *

11:30 PM, Seoul Yeouido Azure Syndicate Hideout.

Gaeul entered the hideout with weak steps.

No, not even steps. She moved by pushing off the ground with her tentacles, lying horizontally, without even the strength to walk.

Like a spider’s gait, eight tentacles pushed off the marble floor, and the remaining one firmly held the hem of her dress to keep it from trailing.

“Uwaaah?!”

Architect, who had just been watching TV in the lounge, was terrified when he saw Gaeul. Gaeul, still lying down, turned her head towards Architect.

“What? What’s wrong? Got a problem?”

Gaeul was in a very low mood. Although she seemed even more listless than usual, Architect swallowed the rest of his beer and shouted.

“I thought you were filming a horror movie! Can’t you walk normally?! Even if you’re a monstrous human, are you going to give up on being human now?”

“I might.”

At her emotionless, indifferent words, Architect clicked his tongue and threw a can of beer. Gaeul raised one tentacle and snatched the can of beer.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re sharing alcohol.”

“Well, I was really surprised to see you, but….”

Architect scratched his head.

“You look like you need a drink today. Seeing you moping around, I don’t think you can sleep alone. Want another one?”

“……One is enough. Thanks.”

Architect turned his eyes to the screen. Gaeul, who had just been crawling with her tentacles, brightened as she saw the video on the screen.

“Oh? That’s me?”

On the screen, , starring Gaeul, was playing. Architect sipped his beer, feeling embarrassed.

“No, this was quite interesting up to the part where you appeared. Could I have watched dramas or anything in the Dongjak underground? I’m binging 6 years’ worth right now.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

Architect shook the potion in his arms and laughed.

“This is good. Perfect for staying up all night. Now there’s just one episode left. But before you go, let me ask you something.”

Architect pointed to the video’s playlist.

“Deokbae was about to curse, saying it was trash from the moment you died and another celebrity came in. You were the lead actress, so you know the script before it was revised, right? How does it end? Do the main couple get together?”

“…….”

Gaeul mumbled. As a former actress, she wondered if it was alright to spoil something unknown.

“The female lead I played, you know….”

Architect swallowed hard, tensing up.

“Right before the marriage proposal, she gets hit by a truck, gets amnesia, and is hospitalized. Then she discovers a disease she didn’t know she had, gets a terminal diagnosis, and dies from the illness two days later. But she dies without telling the male lead, so the male lead ends up with the second female lead. And that’s the end.”

“…Pardon?”

“Have you ever seen first love succeed? This is a makjang drama.”

Gaeul frantically moved her tentacles and climbed the stairs. All sorts of slang from Architect echoed in the lounge, but Gaeul put the cold beer to her forehead to cool her head.

“Right…. I guess I won’t be appearing on TV again now.”

Gaeul, having reached the suite, straightened her body. Just as she was about to turn the corner and enter her hallway, she made eye contact with Deokbae, who was just coming down.

“Oh my. You’re not asleep yet?”

“…You drink too?”

Deokbae pointed to the beer in Gaeul’s hand. Gaeul smiled and opened the beer can.

“I was going to have a drink tonight and then sleep. …What? Why did you take it? Do you want to die?”

Deokbae snatched the can of beer from Gaeul. Gaeul, dumbfounded, sharpened her tentacles. Deokbae made an X sign over the beer with his hand and then pointed behind him.

“If you drink that and go into your room, you’ll definitely cause trouble. Just go in.”

“What? …Hey, are you crazy?! You went into my room, didn’t you?!”

Gaeul’s face grew even paler. Deokbae chugged the can of beer in one go and then jumped down the stairs. Gaeul gripped the railing and shouted, panting.

“Hey! Do you want to die! How dare you sneak into a woman’s room! You saw everything, didn’t you?!”

“Cheon Gaeul. You’ll definitely thank me.”

Deokbae snorted and disappeared down the stairs. Cheon Gaeul let out a hollow laugh and sharpened the tips of her tentacles.

“Alright. Just try coming up.”

Cheon Gaeul strode into her room and threw open the door. The mess Gaeul had last made before going out to intercept Lee Seung-hyung was-

“…………….”

Neatly tidied up. For a moment, Gaeul recalled her college days.

During the time she was crazy about wanting to try dating and rented a room near Daehan, her house would be neatly tidied up as if a Snail Maiden had visited, whenever a certain period came around. And always after that, a message from her mother would arrive, saying, ‘Live a bit more tidily.’

“………Ah, no. Yooishin cleaned it-”

“Zzz….”

A tired breathing sound was heard from inside the room. At the familiar breathing sound, Gaeul moved across the floor, sliding with her tentacles, making no sound.

“…Hoo.”

Gaeul swallowed her breath.

On the bed, Phoenix was sleeping, curled up.